TZ-45

The TZ-45 submachine guns was designed by two Italians, Tonon ("Toni"), a colonel in the RSI Army and Zorzoli, a gunsmith, and was produced by the Giandoso company. All the TZ 45s were issued to R.S.I. (Repubblica Sociale Italiana) units fighting against Italian partisan forces during the civil war in Northern Italy (1944–45), yet it is possible that a few of them ended up serving with Wehrmacht forces engaged in similar operations. After the war, the remaining guns were given to the military of the British and the American forces. It was then evaluated by them, but the general opinion was unfavorable. The gun emerged from the war with a poor reputation for reliability and the style of manufacture and finish was unpopular.[2]

The projects and manufacturing rights for the gun were later sold[3] to the Burmese army where it was manufactured as the BA-52 and colloquially known as the "Ne Win STEN". The Burmese copies were roughly manufactured and unreliable, but they remained in service into the mid-1980s with their infantry and even into the early 1990s with support troops.[4]

The TZ-45 was manufactured with metal stampings, and was welded together with a relatively simple finish applied. The action of the firearm is simple blowback, however the return spring is assembled around the guide rod, of which itself is two pieces - and telescopes as the bolt returns, completing the cycle of operation. A muzzle compensator is also fitted to the firearm, and the shoulder stock of the weapon is formed out of steel rods that slide alongside the receiver when retracted. There are two separate safety systems fitted on the firearm; a fire selector that has a "safe" position that locks the bolt in the forward or rearward position, and a grip safety behind the magazine housing, the ladder of the safety systems preventing the bolt from moving in the direction of cocking or firing unless properly held. The pin of the second safe wedged in a specially-designed notch in the lower center-left part of the bolt, preventing the bolt itself from rolling back in case of accidental shocks taken by the weapon. Accidental discharges were a common occurrence in similar submachine guns (Sten gun and others), and as such the double safety system the TZ-45 utilized proved to be a breakthrough which would inspire many later submachine guns, such as the Danish Madsen M50.

•  Italian Social Republic
• Italian partisans[5]
•  Myanmar[6]
•  Nazi Germany

• TZ-45 PDF at Small arms review
• TZ-45: Italy’s Late War Submachine Gun With Special Safety
• Drawing
• Firing range tests with a rare TZ-45
• Article on this firearm
• Modern Firearms information page